Lecturer: Antoniangelo Agnesi  

Course name: Elettronica quantistica
Course code: 064037
Degree course: Ingegneria Elettronica
Disciplinary field of science: FIS/03
L'insegnamento è caratterizzante per: Ingegneria Elettronica
University credits: CFU 5
Course website: http://www-1.unipv.it/fis/elettronica_quant/

Specific course objectives

Operation principles of pulsed and continuous laser sources. Techniques of short laser pulse generation and measurement. Design principles of high power lasers and description of their most significant industrial and biomedical applications.

Course programme

• Introduction: quantum electronics. Comparison of traditional optical sources and lasers. Amplification of electromagnetic radiation. Classical model of the atomic oscillator. Contributions to line broadening. Laser operation and energetic levels.
• Description of laser operation: continuous wave operation. Rate equations. Properties of optical cavities. Gaussian modes. ABCD techniques for resonator design. Beam quality and spectral purity. Single mode selection techniques (spatial and spectral).
• Laser types: solid-state lasers. Semiconductor lasers. Fiber lasers and optical amplifiers. Helium-Neon and Argon-ion lasers. CO2 lasers. Dye lasers. Excimer lasers. Chemical lasers. Free electron laser.
• Pulsed lasers: Q–switching: principles and results. Q–switching techniques. Mode locking: principles and results. Mode–locking techniques. Ultrashort pulse technology. Techniques for characterization of ultrashort pulses.
• Design of solid-state lasers and overview of their applications.

Course entry requirements

Understanding of basic principles of electromagnetic theory, geometric and wave optics, optical and optoelectronic devices.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 34
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 5
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 3
Project work (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

O. Svelto. Principles of Lasers. Plenum, New York, 1998. (per approfondimenti).

A. Agnesi. Lecture notes. Lectures notes will be distributed in classroom and made available at the course website.

Testing and exams

Oral exam